Michael Clayton
“Michael Clayton” is a 70’s movie in the tradition of the Sidney Lumet adult legal and corporate drama. Let’s just get that out of the way. It is also a character study like the best of those Lumet films, such as “The Verdict” starring Paul Newman. George Clooney is Michael Clayton. He is a modern day “fixer” or “janitor” for a humongous corporate law firm in New York. And he is a man on the edge. While he might fix other people's dirty business, he’s got problems of his own. Like a failed venture in a bar that leaves him owing some serious people some serious cash. Like a failed marriage. Like a gambling problem. And now he’s got to “fix” the problem of Arthur Eden (the always wonderful Tom Wilkenson).
Arthur Eden is the best of the best, the most brilliant of all corporate lawyers, but he is also mentally ill and has just had an episode; what came first, the chicken or the egg? After devoting six years of his life working on a case for a dirty corporation, Arthur has snapped. Michael flies in to town to assure the big company, his law firm, and Arthur himself that things will be under control once he gets back on his pills. Tilda Swinton is the corporation’s head lawyer, a woman who along with nearly every one else in this film has left both her principles and her personal life long behind.
“Michael Clayton” was written and directed by Tony Gilroy. It marks his directorial debut, he wrote all three of the popular “Bourne” films. The writing and directing here are top notch. The acting is also generally top notch, though I wouldn’t characterize Clooney as fantastic his performance in Michael Clayton was more intriguing than, say, in “Ocean’s 12.”
The cinematography, by the versatile and exceptional Robert Elswitt, is excellent and un-intrusive. This is an adult film. It is a hard-boiled drama that examines a world that if we don’t know from personal experience, we know from films. Sydney Pollack is a partner at the firm- Michael’s boss. He spells things out in a cold but human way. The things he says and does are no less than scrupulous than the corporation he works for, but we see how he arrives at these conclusions. After all, our moral prism is Michael himself. We see how most of these characters arrive at their actions, but there are some who will go even further, and because of that the ending is a little pedestrian. Because of that it feels a little odd that we end up with a good versus bad deal. But then again, films are about characters changing, so, especially with a mainstream Hollywood film, we must expect our characters to grow for the better.
Well done throughout, “Michael Clayton” is an engaging, professional, serious film, but it is not a great one. Just a good one, an interesting one. I’ll look for more from Mr. Gilroy who certainly has the talent. There are quite a few wonderful speeches and a few absolutely wonderfully edited sequences (Ms. Swinton as she prepares for an interview, the flashback sequencing of the entire film), but maybe next time we’ll get the home run.
Story: B+ A character study with issues of corporate and personal greed.
Acting: B Pollack, Wilkinson, and Swinton impressed me more than the passable Clooney, but solid work all around.
Visuals: B Another side from the brilliant Robert Elswitt.
Originality/Innovation: B A throwback of a film, that’s original, right?
Enjoyability Grade: B A study of people, also of plot, well edited and paced.
Overall Grade: B Read above, but it just doesn’t take it to the next level.
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